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Obscure screw added so appliance cannot be disassembled
(lemmy.world)
Whether it be electronics, automobiles or medical equipment, the manufacturers should not be able to horde “oem” parts, render your stuff useless if you repair it with aftermarket parts, or hide schematics of their products.
Summary video by Marques Brownlee
Great channel covering and advocating right to repair, Lewis Rossman
Though it should be noted this does raise the bar above most people, especially on a budget, single use tools are hardly ever worth it.
Arguably more dangerous things have easier screws too, like electricity outlets
Grinding a notch into a flathead screwdriver is annoying but it'll still work fine as a flathead even afterwards. I would probably just grind the bulge out of the screw though.
In this case the screw was at the bottom of a narrow slot, and they only found it after breaking things.
But they're in no way single use.
I can't say personally any of my appliances have had this screw, so again relative to someone not doing this for a living it very well could be
I have a set of these that was part of a larger set of precision bits I was buying anyway. I've only ever used one of the security bits in like a decade of having them. I wouldn't have bought the security bits alone.
That's more than some sockets or crescent wrenches I have from sets. I don't know that I've ever used an 11mm of either.